Locking binder-back for loose-leaf books.



E. ELDER. LOCKING BINDER BAGKFOB LOOSE LEAP BOOKS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1914.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

Mr T 6 H 2 m r d E V WITNESSES.-

A TTOR NE Y.

"HE NORRIS PETERS C0, PHOTO-LITHO, WASHING TON. D. C

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIEE.

EDWARD I-I. ELDER, or CHIGOPEE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 1 0 NATIONAL BLANK BOOK COMPANY, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHU- snrrs.

LOCKING BINDER-BACK FOR LOOSE-LEAF BOOKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

Application filed May 20, 1914. Serial No. 839,719.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD H. ELDER, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Chicopee, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Looking Binder-Backs for Loose- Leaf Books, .of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to looking back binders for loose leaf books and especially to the kind thereof comprising opposite side clamping members adapted for approaching and receding movements 'a stationary back member relatively to which said clamping members are movable, a right and left hand threaded screw shaft extending within and longitudinally of the stationary back memher, and runner and link connections between the threaded screw shaft and the opposite -movable clamping members, said screw shaft carrying at one end a lock barrel which with the housing in which it is rotatable, includes locking tumblers so that after the tumbler barrel and screw shaft have been properly and sufliciently rotated to effect the clamping of the leaves of the book, the shaft will be locked against rotation and the binding of the leaves assured,the unlocking of the barrel for the loosening of the clamps being effected by means of a special key, which latter, as understood, usually forms the means for the rotation of the lock barrel and the screw shaft connected therewith.

Inasmuch as thepitch of the threads of the screw shaft is usually quite sharp or steep, it oftentimes occurs after the screw shaft has been turned sufficiently to acquire the tightest possible clamping of the leaves it is necessary to reversely rotate the screw shaft and lock barrel, sometimes nearly a complete turn, before the tumblers in the lock (of the Yale type) can snap into engagement with the barrel, reducing the binding tension on the leaves to an extent, sometimes, as to greatly impair the binding efliciency of the device.

The object ofthe present invention is to provide a locking binder back of such construction and character that after the locking barrel and actuating screw shaft for the binders have been operated to effect a maximum binding tension, there can be no such relief of such tension as would be occasloned by a more or less nearly complete reverse turning of the shaft, because, under the provisions of the present improved device less than half a rotation, at most, of the barrel and shaft will insure positive looking of these parts.

The invention is described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and is set forth in the claims.

In the drawingszFigure 1 is a plan view of the locking back as seen from the inner side thereof. Fig. 2 is a sectional View longitudinally through the barrel and its housing showing the parts in such relations as to be locked by heretofore employed provisions. Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view but showing the barrel as locked in a position rotated half way around from that shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view on line 44, Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the lock barrel as seen at its side having the longitudinally ranging mouth of the keyway, terminating at the periphery of the barrel, to be hereinafter especially referred to.

In the drawings, A A represent the opposite side members adapted for approaching and receding movements to bind and loosen the leaves,B representing the back relatively to which the said clamping members are movable and on which they are guided.

C represents the right and left hand threaded screw shaft extending within and longitudinally of the stationary back member with which the runner nuts on a engage, and which nuts are connected by the links or toggles 7) I) with the clamping members. The screw shaft has a journal support in a block cl at one end of the back, and at its other end it is provided with a cylindrical lock barrel D which is fitted in a cylindrical opening therefor in the block E which forms the housing. The lock barrel has a keyway f therein open to its outer end, one boundary 6 thereof being within the thickness of the barrel, and said keyway having oppositely to such internal boundary a longitudinal slot-like opening 9 leading to the periphery of the barrel. Said barrel is provided with a plurality of radial holes f having tumbler pins f therein, and the housing for the rotative barrel has a'plurality of sockets j at one side thereof with spring pressed tumbler pins 76 for locking coaction with the barrel sockets, and also for locking coaction on the overturning of the barrel with the periphery terminating opposite longitudinal opening 9 of the key- The key is shown as having at one side an irregular edge portion m to effect, when the key is fully inserted in the keyway, an unlocking position of the threads of the barrels and housing tumblers so that the barrel and shaft may be turned, as usual. The said key has an opposite straight edged portion 0 to the line at and along the mouth of the key-way opening in coincidence with the periphery of the barrel. The said'key near its forward end from its straight back 0 is inclined or beveled as shown at 6. Assuming the key is home in the keyway of the barrel the latter will be unlocked through the medium of the key, it and the shaft may be turned for loosening and there after tightening the clamping members as usual; and on the supposition that after the clamps have been bound against the bunch of leaves in the maximum degree, whereby it is impossible to further turn the barrel, and the barrel to become locked must be reversely rotated until the housing tumblers 7c effect the locking, such housing tumblers will, at most, in less than half a rotation of the barrel, either be snapped into the radial barrel sockets j y or into the longitudinally extending peripherally terminating mouth 0 of the keyway; and, therefore, there may not be any such reverse turning of the barrel and screw shaft before the parts are looked as would measurably reduce the acquired binding tension of the clamping members.

The key being effective for locking and unlocking the barrel as heretofore usual, is additionally effective as represented in Fig. 3 for outwardly forcing the housing tumblers from the peripherally open mouth of the key way (when the housing tumblers may have been engaged in the latter) so that their inner ends are coincident with the bore in the housing and the periphery of the barrel. The inclining or beveling of the back of the key at its forward end is to insure that the key on being slid into the barrel will, with a cam-like action, outwardly crowd the housing tumblers to their unlocking positions in which they are re tained by the straight back of the key so long as some portion of such straight back is in engagement against the ends of the tumblers. The partial reverse rotation of the barrel to insure the re-locking may be accomplished by the key which while almost entirely withdrawn from the keyway, nevertheless by its extremity has an engagement outwardly beyond any of the tumblers to permit the rotative movement of the barrel.

1. In a locking binder back for loose leaf books, in combination, opposite side clamping members adapted for approaching and receding movements and a stationary back member relatively to which the said clamping members are movable, a right and left hand threaded screw shaft extending within and longitudinally of the stationary back member, and runner nut and link connections between the threaded screw shaft and the opposite movable clamping members, said screw shaft carrying at one end thereof a lock barrel having a key-way open to the outer end thereof, one boundary of the keyway being within the thickness of the barrel, and said keyway having oppositely to such internal boundary an opening leading to the periphery of the barrel, said barrel being provided with a radial hole extending from its periphery to the inner boundary of the keyway and having a tumbler therein, a housing for the lock barrel having a socket at one side thereof with a spring pressed tumbler pin therein for locking coaction with the barrel socket and for locking coaction, on the overturning of the barrel, with the peripherally terminating opposite opening of the keyway, and a key having at one side an edge portion to effect an unlocking position of the barrel and housing tumblers, and having an opposite edge portion to coincide with the periphery of the barrel and a portion adapted to displace the housing tumbler from any engagement which it may have in the peripherally terminating mouth of the keyway.

2. In a locking binder back for loose leaf books, in combination, opposite side clamping members adapted for approaching and receding movements and a stationary back member relatively to which the said clamping members'are movable, a right and left hand threaded screw shaft extending within and longitudinally of the stationary back member, and runner nut and link connections between the threaded screw shaft and the opposite movable clamping members," said screw shaft carrying at one end thereof a lock barrel having a key-way open to the outer end thereof, one boundary of the keyway being within the thickness of the barrel, and said key-way having oppositely to such internal boundary a longitudinally extending opening leading to the periphery of the barrel, said barrel being provided with a plurality of radial holes extending from its periphery to the inner boundary of the keyway and having tumbler pins therein, a housing for the rotative lock barrel having a plurality of sockets at one side thereof with spring pressed tumbler pins therein for locking coaction with the barrel sockets and for locking coaction, on the overturning of the barrel with the peripherally terminating opposite longitudinally ranging opening of the keyWay, and a key having at one side an irregular edge portion to efi'ect an unlocking position of the sets of barrel and housing tumblers, and having an opposite straight edged portion to aline at the mouth of the keyway opening in coincidence with the periphery of the barrel, and having its forward end inclined, and adapted to displace said housing tumblers from any engagement Which they may have in the said peripherally terminating mouth of the keyWay.

Signed by me at Springfield, Mass, in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

EDWARD H. ELDER.

Witnesses:

G. R. DnisooLL, WM. S. BELLOWS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

